Ester Gisella looked even more beautiful wearing a loose soft pink shirt with tight denim jeans. Her pale face had regained its color. She wasn't sick or had no reason to reschedule her photo shoot. But her mood was horrible. She was afraid of affecting her performance and the people involved. She confidently walked towards the agreed-upon place.
Sofi had returned to her boarding house in the Manhattan area earlier. She left a few messages that Ester didn't find particularly useful. But Ester wanted to talk less and followed what Sofi said. She was sure that Sofi's eyes were filled with surprise at her behavior today. It didn't matter as long as Sofi went home soon.
"Miss Lily agreed that you'll have a day off tomorrow," Sofi informed before leaving Ester's apartment.
"Yes, I know," Ester replied shortly.
"Rest. I'll bring breakfast and lunch here tomorrow."
"Yes, yes. You go home."
"Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you, Miss?" Al
Initially, Leonel wanted to avoid listening to the conversation between the two women. He ignored them, occasionally catching snippets of laughter and light banter. Chloe Delilah seemed so familiar with his mother. Leonel could see the genuine affection in his mother's eyes whenever she looked at her daughter-in-law. With others, his mother couldn't be like this. It was a rare occurrence. But Leonel was sure and knew that his mother truly loved him.It was different with Chloe.Since his wife entered the Grisham family, Leonel witnessed the warm reception she received from all sides. He couldn't fathom what they thought of Chloe, who, in his opinion, was just an ordinary girl but managed to capture almost all of the Grisham family's attention, including his grandfather, who was known to be cold and more reserved than his father. But at that time, Leonel didn't care. For him, the marriage was just a cover to conceal his ongoing relationship with his lover, Ester.
"Can we talk?" Leonel asked, following Chloe's steps toward her room. The woman didn't want any help, nor did she complain a word. She hiked up the stairs, feeling each step with the tip of her cane. From behind, Leonel observed how Chloe handled herself in her current condition.When she found out about her condition, Leonel was at a loss. Not just him but the entire household. Chloe, usually gentle and caring, became emotional and lost control. Her anger kept surging, and she didn't hesitate to throw things around. Profanities flowed effortlessly from her thin lips. But as time passed and her therapy progressed well, Chloe's emotions stabilized.She returned to being the attentive Chloe, but only towards certain people. Towards Leonel? Cold and completely untouched. If Leonel could say it, Chloe wasn't like the wife he used to know. There was such a wide gap for Leonel to bridge. Usually, a slight smile and sweet words would make Chloe surrender.But not anymo
The moan escaped unconsciously from Ester as her movement was hindered by the giant hand that enveloped her. There was a satisfied smile approaching her now. It turns out that last night was just her fear. Leonel said, "My dad was here. I had a long conversation with him about expansion, Ester. You don't have to worry about my presence at home. Besides, Sofi did her job well, didn't she?"Leonel said those words right above his lips before Ester truly snuggled up to her lover. The neatly tied tie was starting to loosen by Ester. With the most sensual movements possible, she received a restrained groan and the closed eyes of Leonel, who enjoyed every touch of her hand on his chest."Is that so?" Ester asked in a sulky voice. However, she didn't care about what Leonel said anymore. She trusted the man who was now exploring her lips gently and kissing her with great care, just as the man liked to examine every inch of Ester's body—starting with gentle movements that
Chloe's smile didn't want to fade from her face, not even a bit. It was no longer just her feeling. What her eyes captured now were familiar colors in her imagination. Her heart was filled with joy knowing about this progress. Just this morning, there was nothing different from her vision, which only contained dots of light. A sense of emotion slipped into her heart, overwhelming her. "Hi," Adrianna greeted cheerfully. Since Peni gave her the news two hours ago, Adrianna couldn't wait to meet Chloe. Although she still had to be patient because her responsibilities at work couldn't be abandoned just like that. Adrianna couldn't simply ignore the children she taught. When her working hours were over, she immediately drove her car to her friend's white-painted house. "Adrianna." Chloe reached out, trying to grasp Adrianna's hand even though she couldn't see her approaching figure. Holding Chloe tightly. "I'm so happy." Chloe was sure that Peni had informed Adrianna about her condition.
Along the way to the office, Leonel pondered why his father suddenly wanted to meet. Didn't they meet at the dining table yesterday? Or was there something to discuss about the office situation? As long as Mountain Pte was under Leonel's management, the founder, who happened to be his father, was free from the obligation to work in the office. It wasn't because he wanted to monopolize what his father had built.As the only son of Grisham, he had responsibilities on his shoulders. He couldn't let Robby work forever. Indeed his father wanted to enjoy his old age by doing many other things. It was evident from how often his father and wife went on trips to other cities or even abroad to spend their time.But that didn't matter. Besides, Leonel enjoyed business activities and the corporate world. He didn't have to run them just because he was the son of the company's founder. No, Leonel was not like that. He exerted all his abilities to expand Mountain Pte further.
Her activities resumed as usual. She was busy with a photoshoot session for one of the brands that played a role in elevating her name. She wasn't sick. She felt furious because of Chloe's treatment and the Grisham family's reaction, which gave her a headache. She could already anticipate Leonel's parents' rejection, just like in the past.Although Ester had tried her best to adapt and fit in, to be worthy of standing by Leonel's side, she had always enjoyed the world of modeling ever since she was selected as one of the winners of a favorite face contest in a teen magazine back then. She had set her ambitions from the moment she received that recognition.So, was her profession a problem for entering the Grisham family? Meanwhile, she wholeheartedly and sincerely loved Leonel up until now. The same feeling still dominated her heart, even though she felt hurt by Chloe's treatment and her lover's marriage happening right in front of her. It didn't matter, she thought. A
Chloe once had a dream, and it was beautiful. She was beside her husband, listening to music they both liked or whatever Leonel liked. They hummed along, enjoying the road with tall pine trees standing around them. Their route was wet from the rain and slightly foggy but very romantic to pass through. Their destination was around the Rhineback area or Ellicotville, where Grisham's luxurious villa waited for them to unwind and relax together.They held hands as they walked on the dewy grass in the morning. They felt the cool breeze that soothed their hearts and minds. And afterward, they spent time like a couple deeply in love, with loving words until their vacation ended.It feels like a lie if Chloe didn't want that to happen in her life. Each time she fell in love with a man, in this case, she fell in love with the right person. Her husband. Not someone else or someone else's husband, right? But why? Why did her husband extinguish that love until it vanished complete
Throughout Chloe's therapy, Leonel never failed to pay attention to everything that happened there. Every conversation occurred, including the interactions between doctors and patients and Chloe's communication. Everything seemed normal, and there was nothing suspicious. But why did Leonel's heart still feel like they were hiding something? Was it because his presence was too open, and they were acting regularly because of it?Ah, that could be it.Leonel seemed to have to resort to his second option of secretly observing. He agreed with his new line of thinking. Although he occasionally participated in conversations when Chloe was being spoken to by the doctor, including discussing her progress. It wasn't that Leonel wasn't happy, but why didn't his wife mention the progress she was experiencing? What? Oh my god! Did Leonel forget how he had hurt Chloe's feelings? Wasn't it normal for his wife not to want to share about herself now?In their five years of marri